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8 MARCH, 2022

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Riding for Ukraine

Andrew Makohon. (Joe Mastroianni) 270885_04

By Max Hatzoglou Ukraine Association Sunshine president Andrew Makohon will ride 500 kilometres in four days to bring attention to the horrors being faced by Ukraine in its war with Russia and to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the association. Wearing half green and gold on one side and blue and yellow on the other side, Mr Makohon will take on the riding challenge to commemorate the cultural contribution European migrants have made to the Australian community. He will start his ride at the Bonegilla Migrant Camp located just pass Wodonga, which was the first point of call for many migrants, and finish at Station Pier in Port Melbourne where the post war migrants first landed. Raising money for RU OK? and the Benalla Migrant Camp Photographic Exhibition, Mr Makohon’s riding path will retrace the steps of the first post World War II Ukrainian and European migrants. Mr Makohon, who is of Ukrainian heritage, has been able to learn first hand about European migration to Australia through his grandmother who turns 98 this year. ■

Continued: Page 3

Pokie losses state’s worst By Max Hatzoglou The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission has revealed Brimbank recorded the highest amount of player loss from electronic gaming machines in the state over a seven-month period Across the 15 poker machine venues in Brimbank, $55,18 million was recorded in player loss between between July 2021 and January 2022. The highest monthly loss was recorded in December last year ($14.98 million). The Kealba Hotel recorded the highest player losses in the state between July 2021 and

January 2022, with more than $7 million lost. Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen said gambling was a very concerning issue. “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, losses from wagering and sports betting (most of which occurs online) have also increased significantly,“ she said. “Brimbank also experienced record losses from electronic gaming machines when gaming venues re-opened after extended closures due to COVID-19 restrictions [in 2020]. “It is very concerning that Brimbank continues to have the highest loss venue in the state.“

Cr Nguyen is calling for gaming venues’ operating hours to change and stronger regulations. “This again highlights the need for reform to reduce operating hours, particularly in communities that are vulnerable to gambling harm and have experienced sustained losses. “Brimbank council is vocal and steadfast in our calls for better regulation. “We have an Electronic Gambling Policy which aims to reduce the economic, social and health harms associated with poker machines and other forms of electronic gambling in Brimbank.

“Council will continue to advocate for stronger regulation of the gambling industry and we support the Alliance for Gambling Reform’s calls for wider systemic reform to reduce the harms that gambling losses bring to our community. Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello said communities in Brimbank were among the most stressed in the state. “Yes, people are waking up to the harm being done by this predatory industry … But what about the hundreds of millions lost every month in pubs and clubs? What action is being taken to address this crisis?” he said.

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Changed traffic conditions on the West Gate Freeway and Williamstown Road During March, April, May 2022

Crews are working hard to widen the freeway from 8 to 12 lanes From late February/March there will be changed traffic conditions on the West Gate Freeway, heading towards the city, to create the space we need to set up a new work area. There will also be regular overnight closures of Williamstown Road, under the West Gate Freeway, for freeway widening above.

What to expect On the West Gate Freeway (pictured right): Citybound drivers on the freeway will need to decide at Muir Street pedestrian bridge to merge left to exit at Williamstown Road. All lanes will continue to the West Gate Bridge. The citybound speed limit will be reduced to 60km/h in this section of the freeway to facilitate these changes. On Williamstown Road: There will be regular nightly closures of Williamstown Road in both directions under the West Gate Freeway, between March and May. Signed detours will be in place.

Thanks for your patience

Keep in mind there are other disruptions in 2022. Find a detailed list at bigbuild.vic.gov.au Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

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We understand that these impacts may be disruptive to you. We thank you for your ongoing patience as we work as quickly and safely as possible to get the job done.

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Airport review is a must By Max Hatzoglou Retired general practitioner Dr Mike Howson has called for an independent review of the proposed third runway at Melbourne Airport. Plans for the new runway were released to the public earlier on February 2, with the community invited to provide feedback through to mid-May. Dr Howson who owned general practices for 24 years at Essendon, St Albans and the Royal Children’s Hospital said residents don’t know what’s coming. “The amount of noise that they’re planning to send over Keilor is amazing, they won’t know what’s hitting them,” Dr Howson said. “It’s five times the amount of noise that

Brisbane Airport’s getting right now and they’re going out of their minds and it’s half the distance to the airport for Keilor residents compared to Brisbane residents. “It’s going to be a fairly unpleasant place to live from what we’re looking at.” Dr Howson wants an independent review of the plans to ensure the safety of residents, particularly children. “It would be lovely to get a fully independent expert group to look at this and see whether it is safe.” Dr Howson believes the community should contact ministers, Melbourne Airport, and the owners of the airport. Dr Howson, who lives near the airport, also warned that people living in Keilor could have sleep disturbance and sleep

cycles affected. “They’re planning to fly as few planes over Keilor as they can but even if you are flying a plane over every half hour, you’re going to upset sleep patterns especially with noise levels we are looking at,” he said. “If it’s around 70 or 80 decibels indoors, then that is going to disturb sleep. “I don’t think the (Melbourne) airport has produced the evidence that tells us that there is no harm going on, and that the noise levels are acceptable.” Dr Howson said the third runway would affect other areas outside of Keilor as well, mentioning Kealba, North Sunshine, Keilor Downs and Cairnlea. Melbourne Airport was contacted for comment.

Skater’s plea to come to Australia Talented young skateboarder Zion Moltocuro-Furegato is hoping to compete in this year’s Australian Skateboarding Championship like he did as a six-year old in 2019. In 2019, Zion and his family had to make a quick return to Brazil from their St Albans home after his grandmother had a health scare from an accident and grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. Now, Zion and his father Ricardo Furegato are hoping to return to Melbourne to enable Zion to compete. The trip would give Zion the chance to showcase his skateboarding talents, which has led to over 11,000 Instagram followers, to the national skateboarding audience in Melbourne. However, due to the costs of return flights nearing $8000 and struggles with getting his father’s visa approved, the pair may not be able to make the trip happen. Zion’s parents Carla Moltocuro and Ricardo Furegato launched a GoFundMe page which has raised over $2400 in Australia and $3500 in Brazil. The biggest obstacle for the family now is getting Ricardo’s visa approved. “We are just waiting for my visa actually, his (Zion’s) visa has already been approved,” Ricardo said. “We are worried about getting the visa too late, after the competition and that would be really sad. “We are trying to do everything we can by writing letters to immigration to give a little bit of attention to my application and see if we can get the visa before the competition.” Ricardo said that Zion was often identified by skateboarding fans on the streets of Brazil. “Even today we were in our local park and a kid came from another city which is three, four hours away from here and he was screaming Zion’s name and he was so happy meeting him.

Zion Moltocuro-Furegato skateboarding.

(Supplied)

“There are a few pros that really know him from his talents as well.” Zion said if he was to come to Australia he would be excited to skate in the competition, see his friends again and have a good time

while chasing his dream of being a professional skater.

NEWS

Riding proudly for Ukraine ■

From page 1

Mr Makohon said frustrations have been shared among the Ukrainian community through the pandemic and the current climate in Ukraine where the country is battling to hold on to its independence and freedom. “I discovered very quickly that I found myself carrying mental concerns and frustrations, and that was shared by a lot in our community,” Mr Makohon said. “For me cycling was the way to be able to reset your compass and try to keep on top mentally without letting it get too much.” This is what led Mr Makohon to take on this bike ride challenge and raise money for RU OK?, a non-profit organisation advocating for people to have conversations with others. Mr Makohon also wants to take on the ride to recognise the positive impact migrants have made to the Australian community. “I have often been intrigued about the story of those post World War II migrants, in a family sense with my grandparents, but on a broader sense with all of the migrants and displaced people that found Australia as a new home,” he said. “It struck me that one of the ways I could pay tribute to the legacy of what they have established here in Australia and how they have interwoven their rich cultures with the Australian one, would be to re-ride their first footsteps in Australia. “It resonates with generations of those early migrants especially in the western suburbs where so many of them might not have had higher education skills for reasons of war and other circumstances but they did form a big part of the community in the western suburbs. “You could speak to anyone that went to school around Sunshine, Footscray, St Albans areas and you had many different cultures. “It was quite enriching because each of us brought our culture to school whether it was via the lunches we ate or interests you had. “From my ride perspective, my intention is to draw a reminder to an amazing history and the challenges the first generation had who didn’t have cousins that future generations were able to have.” The back of Mr Makohon’s top will say ‘no one rides alone’ in hope that people can rally around the ride and support the cause and meaning behind it. ■ Ukrainians

Max Hatzoglou

unite behind their homeland, page 13.

Smile Squad is on its way The Victorian Government is making it easier for our kids to get the dental care they need. Find out more at smilesquad.vic.gov.au

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Calls for Cairnlea consultation By Max Hatzoglou Cairnlea residents have renewed their calls for Development Victoria to listen to residents in regards to the development of the old Albion Explosives Factory site. As reported by Star Weekly, residents and Brimbank council have expressed concerns over the planned development of the 41-hectare site on Ballarat Road, which has been set aside to create a new residential neighbourhood. The state government Land Standing Advisory Committee recently released a Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) application for the 41-hectare site.

An advisory committee has been established and will consider the proposal and any submissions made to the application. A group of Cairnlea residents has previously expressed concerns that their views have been dismissed. Community advocate Graeme Blore wants the plans for the estate to support social disadvantage housing rather than impede it. “We call upon Development Victoria to ensure that the plans for the estate do not further entrench social disadvantage, provide a diverse range of options regarding lot sizes, and provide highly planned and well-funded service delivery to support social housing

clients for both the immediate and long term future,” Mr Blore said. “The Cairnlea community will be lodging a highly detailed submission regarding the estate. “We call upon the minister for planning to meet with us, as requested in Parliament by shadow minister Ryan Smith two weeks ago.” The group has also said there are still many unanswered questions in relation to the remediation of soil at the site and what was previously located there. The concerns extend to Gateway Hill which Mr Blore says the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) does not have an account for

what is in the soil there. “Residents are also gravely concerned about the remediation of soil, and the toxicity therein regarding their health,” he said. “In a windy suburb, they hold grave fears for their safety from the inevitable levels of dust. “The proposed playground is on the foot of Gateway Hill, where massive amounts of toxic material is left over from the Albion Explosives Factory (who were the occupants of the site).” To have your say on the development visit: https://bit.ly/35gfyLJ Submissions close on April 7, 2022.

Tree canopy takes root St Albans, Kings Park and Brimbank have been boosted with over 500 advanced trees planted in the area since last spring. The trees will provide a new vibrant look to the west as the 588 new trees are a part of over 30,000 that have been planted across the west since last September. And there’s more on the way as the trees are just the first phase of the state government’s More Trees for a Cooler Greener West initiative – which will see 500,000 trees planted across the western suburbs. Energy, Environment and Climate Change MP Lily D’Ambrosio said the initiative will help reach climate targets. “These trees, together with our investment in local and suburban parks, will help Victoria tackle climate change and support our goal of halving emissions by 2030,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.

“We’re planting the right trees in the right places to give local communities in the western suburbs more opportunities to enjoy and explore nature.” St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman said it would lead to an increase in green spaces. “New trees throughout St Albans and surrounding areas will make the streets cooler and more accessible for local communities creating more shade and green spaces in the western suburbs,” Ms Suleyman said. Friends of Kororoit Creek president Jessica Gerger supported the initiative. “People need to be able to walk in the shade and have our homes shielded from the summer sun which will only get worse in a hotter future. “It also provides much needed habitat for wildlife.” Max Hatzoglou

Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen, Energy, Environment and Climate Change MP Lily D’Ambrosio, St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman, and Brimbank councillors Thuy Dang and Victoria Borg. (Supplied)

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Financial incentives for kinder teachers. Teachers not currently working in the sector: Join or re-join the sector and be financially rewarded with $9,000. All qualified teachers: Get up to $50,000* on top of your salary for positions at high-priority services. Search and apply for a position that suits you via the new Jobs Board at vic.gov.au/kinder *Terms and conditions apply, visit vic.gov.au/kinder

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Giving Victorian children the best start means more qualified teachers are needed across the state.

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NEWS

COVID claims 65 Brimbank lives By Max Hatzoglou

seven per cent of the state’s COVID-19 deaths during the reporting period. Across the state, 943 deaths were recorded during this period. The Department of Health said that eight per cent of Victorians who died with COVID-19 between December 8, 2021, and February 21, 2022 had received their third dose. Thirty-seven per cent were not vaccinated with at least two doses and about 33 per cent were unvaccinated, the department said. According to Victorian government data,

The tragedy of the Omicron wave in Brimbank has been revealed, with 65 deaths across the municipality since December last year – the highest in the state. Department of Health data shows Brimbank recorded the highest number of deaths of people with or due to COVID-19 between December 8, 2021, and February 21, 2022. The municipality accounted for about

while 92.1 per cent of Brimbank residents have received two doses of the vaccine, less than a third of those eligible for their third dose has received one. “The data is clear that getting your third dose will significantly reduce your chances of going to hospital, going to ICU or dying from COVID-19,” a department spokesperson said. “If you’re yet to get your third dose, it’s easier than ever – just walk in or book at a state-run centre, head to a participating GP

or pharmacy, or drop by a pop-up vaccination clinic in your local area.” Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen said: “We recognise how difficult the impacts of COVID-19 have been for our residents and businesses, and we understand that for many, these challenges are still here. “Council will continue to advocate to government for the support as well as to deliver health and wellbeing outcomes as part of ongoing recovery efforts.”

Spring into CFA action Greaney said there is a role for everyone at the station. Volunteers can cater their working hours depending on their individual schedules. Mr Greaney said they were particularly eager to recruit individuals living within Caroline Springs to form part of the firefighting volunteer force. Details: www.carolinesprings.fire.org.au

Seven years ago Tom Greaney drove past the Caroline Springs unit of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and thought he’d like to give volunteering a try. Now serving as the unit’s recruitment officer, Mr Greaney is encouraging more locals to see for themselves just how rewarding it can be to take up a role in the CFA. “I fell in love with what I was doing,” Mr Greaney said. “It’s brought me a heap of confidence. I used to hate getting up and talking, now I can talk in front of a hundred people with confidence. “I’ve made new skills, met new people and it’s just given me a whole different perspective.” The Caroline Springs CFA is currently recruiting across a variety of roles. From firefighting, administration and station duties, to fundraising, community awareness and community engagement, Mr

Oliver Lees

Firefighters Ryan Baker and Tom Ferguson. (Joe Mastroianni) 270825_01

THE BEST IN POINT COOK RETIREMENT LIVING

Established homes now available

From time to time selected refurbished units become available for sale to new residents of Point Cook Village. Call Michael to inspect the villas, tour the village and to discuss your retirement future in this friendly and welcoming community.

Apt 267

Villa 31

Villa 238

Villa 107

$375K $375K $550K $585K $630K 1

Freecall: 1800 645 264

pointcookvillage.com.au 320 Point Cook Road, Point Cook

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Prices valid at publication date.

Apt 266

For more information about our range of retirement communities visit: rcavillages.com.au Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY 5

NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU Briefs

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Operation Alliance arrests Police have arrested dozens of young people across Melbourne as part of Operation Alliance. Police zeroed in on youths in the north-western suburbs by saturating streets, patrolling known high-volume crime areas, and carrying out bail compliance checks. Between February 25 and March 1, 66 people were arrested, with 17 remanded in custody for serious offences including armed robbery, breach of bail, aggravated burglary, and weapons offences. Seven males connected to youth gangs were arrested after an alleged brawl at Errington Reserve in St Albans.

PHONE \ 03 8318 5777 LOCATION \ Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042 DISTRIBUTION \ 1300 656 678 distribution@fermax.com.au

ADVERTISING GENERAL SALES INQUIRIES westads@starweekly.com.au CLASSIFIEDS \ 1300 666 808 EMAIL \ sales@networkclassifieds.com.au

GENERAL REAL ESTATE INQUIRIES reads@starweekly.com.au

Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen.

Credit card stolen

(Supplied)

EDITORIAL GENERAL EDITORIAL INQUIRIES westeditorial@starweekly.com.au COMMUNITY CALENDAR ENTRIES communitycalendar@starweekly.com.au

Published by MMP Star Pty Ltd ACN 168 220 399 Head Office Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042 Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas All material is copyright to MMP Star Pty Ltd. Responsibility for election comment is accepted by Paul Thomas. All significant errors will be corrected as quickly as possible. Distribution numbers, areas and coverage are estimates only. For our terms and conditions please visit starweekly.com.au

Have your say on bins Brimbank council is calling for feedback from the community about a proposed four-bin waste and recycling services model that is set to be implemented in 2023-24. The aim of the four-bin model will be to improve recycling and reduce landfill through a new weekly food and garden organics (FOGO) collection, a new monthly glass recycling collection, a fortnightly collection of garbage and ongoing fortnightly recycling collection. The new model is part of Victorian government waste reforms, which says all councils must move to a four-bin waste and recycling service. Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen said the feedback from the community was important so the new model could be implemented successfully. “Waste collection is a significant service that almost all residents in Brimbank use,” Cr

Nguyen said. “It is important that we get feedback from the community on how the changes will affect you and what you need to better understand the changes. “The proposed changes are part of council’s commitment to improving our recycling efforts and reducing landfill. Cr Nguyen said the new model would benefit the environment as landfill would be reduced. “Actions like placing food and green organics in a separate bin that is collected weekly could reduce up to 50 per cent of the contents of the average waste bin. “We all have a role to play in increasing recycling and reducing landfill. “Improving our recycling efforts is an important way for everyone to do their bit.” Max Hatzoglou

Join Council’s Disability Advisory Committee

Council is seeking expressions of interest from community representatives interested in joining the Melton Disability Advisory Committee. Term of committee members appointment is June 2022 to June 2024.

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•

people with disability (2 positions)

•

carer of a child with a disability and carer of an adult with disability (1 position each)

•

representative from a local community-based agency or group (1 position)

Applications close: Friday 18 March For further information or help with applying, contact the Advocacy and Inclusion Officer on 0499 027 473 or email nicolemig@melton.vic.gov.au

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The Committee advises Council on issues relating to access and inclusion for people with disability within the City of Melton.

Expressions of interest are open to:

Police are appealing for help identifying a person who used a stolen credit card in Melbourne’s north-west last month. Police said a wallet containing a credit card was stolen from a car in Strathmore on February 14. The credit card was used to purchase gift cards later that morning at a number of service stations and supermarkets in Taylors Lakes, Watergardens, Delahey, Brimbank, Deer Park, Keilor Downs and St Albans. It is believed the person made more than 40 transactions valued at $2000. Police have released an image of a man who they believe may be able to assist with their inquiries. FOR BREAKING NEWS, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

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NEWS

Call to open up sport facilities By Max Hatzoglou Residents in Brimbank have raised concerns about the number of public sporting facilities available to them, saying more need to be available for public use. The issue was raised in last month’s council meeting where councillors mentioned tennis courts as a major issue. Brimbank council community wellbeing director Lynley Dumble said the municipality has many sporting facilities available for community use, particularly through

community sporting clubs. “Many of Brimbank’s sporting clubs are allocated sporting facilities as part of Lease, Licence or Seasonal agreements with Council, which are accessible by the broader community to actively use these to play sport,” Ms Dumble said. “Many sportsgrounds when they are not being used for community sports are open and accessible for the community to use. “Council also has a range of casual sports facilities around the municipality to cater for informal participation in sport, eg. half-Court

allows the community to casually book and use tennis courts via the online system. “The court bookings are managed by the tennis clubs where the participants receive a pin code to enter the facility. This system reduces the burden on volunteers to open up and provides easier access for the community. “The following tennis clubs allow community access at Green Gully TC, Sunshine Park TC, Albion TC, Delahey TC, Keilor Park TC and St Albans East TC. “Please check the specific tennis club websites to book a court.”

basketball, multi-purpose sports courts for soccer, basketball and netball in local parks and reserves.” Ms Dumble also said tennis courts were available for casual use across six tennis clubs in Brimbank. “Access to tennis court facilities are also available to the broader community, which are available at our Brimbank tennis club sites,” she said. “Council has worked in partnership with Tennis Victoria and six local tennis clubs to implement the Book A Court system, which

Breaking down barriers The Community Soccer Hub based at Selwyn Park in Albion has partnered with the Australian Sports Foundation to raise funds for its program which aims to reduce the significant barriers to sport participation. The hub was established in 2014 and has since grown to over 500 participants through its mix of casual and competitive soccer programs for junior and senior players. Without the necessary funds over the years, the hub would not have been able to provide these opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds in the community. The funds have been able to reduce barriers such as access to transport, financial restraints, language barriers, lack of culturally sensitive facilities and lack of communication between mainstream sporting clubs and settlement organisations. The hub is hoping to reach $50,000 to help cover the costs that are appearing from increased participation.

There has been over $2000 dollars raised over 34 donations. Community Soccer Hub founder and board member, Nuredin Hassan said the hub gives the community an opportunity to connect. “The community soccer hub offers a welcoming place for people to play soccer and to meet other people in the local area,” he said. “That aspect of Australian club culture is really unique and we want to be able to foster that for new and emerging communities, communities of an asylum seeker background, refugee-background, communities who are impacted by financial hardship and communities of a low socioeconomic background. “We want to be able to provide them the same opportunities to be able to enjoy the sport that we all love and to do it in such a way that makes them feel welcome, included and connected. Details: https://asf.org.au/projects/ community-soccer-hub/

Community Soccer Hub players in action. (Supplied)

New range of products at Mini Punjab

With the Big Woolworths Supermarket

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Davinder Singh | PH: 9307 9190

Watervale Shopping Centre, Cnr Taylor’s Road, Calder Park Drive, Taylor’s Hill,

www.watervaleshoppingcentre.com.au Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY 7

NEWS STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

New CEO out and about By Max Hatzoglou New Brimbank chief executive Fiona Blair says she is enjoying getting to know the community and issues it faces. Since starting the role in January, Ms Blair has been visiting different parts of Brimbank. She said her main focus was ensuring the community recovers well from COVID-19. “How we respond and recover from the pandemic is going to be really important,” Ms Blair said. “We need to keep looking at ways of being as efficient and effective as possible with the resources we have.” She said advocacy and community engagement was a priority so the city could strive and grow in the best possible way. “It is always really important that the community have the opportunity to be heard regarding projects that directly impact them,” she said. The former Department of Transport executive director for transport planning said working with council will be an important part of her role. “My role is to work with the council to implement council plan actions and that’s a first and front of mind priority and these are obviously the plans that have been developed with consultation with the community and that’s the roadmap,” she said. “We are already looking to see how we can be delivering the services in the most effective, efficient and responsive way and being able to provide services that the community needs now.” Ms Blair said she believes the Sunshine Transport superhub will be good for Brimbank if the right outcome is achieved. “I think a key opportunity for Brimbank is working with the state government around the opportunities in Sunshine and Sunshine

Fiona Blair.

(Supplied)

as the superhub, and ensuring that we get a precinct outcome there and not just a transport outcome,” she said. “It’s something that is really important and the council is currently really advocating strongly to the state government to try and make sure we have some dollars come Sunshine’s way to ensure that we can do that.

“So some of those large projects are really important and something I am working on. Ms Blair also said elements from the pandemic will be some other key issues to address. “The recovery from COVID, unemployment, health and wellbeing, mental health are all important issues for Brimbank”

Locals report more smells Residents surrounding the Akzo Nobel factory in Sunshine North took to social media last week to report odours coming from the site. Since late 2019 residents in Sunshine North and surrounding areas have called for greater action to reduce the implications of the factory’s odor and noise to the community. Kellie Emma posted on Facebook saying weather changes were a common cause of the smell appearing from the paint manufacturer. “Smells always seem to be more intense as the weather changes,” she said. “This issue should have been resolved in November but residents are still smelling this terrible odour. It’s just not good enough. We all have a right to clean air but profits seem to come before basic human rights.” She also mentioned that members of the Stop AkzoNobel Pollution Action Group were reporting smells from the factory that day. As reported by Star Weekly, AkzoNobel site manager Peter Black said in February that the company had made changes to improve the odor issues by installing a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO). “It takes time [to fix these issues] because a lot of these solutions require engineering solutions that require a lot of study,” Mr Black said at the time. “You want to make sure your solutions are going to solve the problem and fix the problem so you need to make sure the solution you put in place is going to have an improvement.”

LUNCH WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY*

SENIORS SPECIAL

$10

Have your say about how your household waste is collected.

MAIN MEAL

Key proposed changes:

LUNCH ONLY 12PM - 2PM

• A new weekly Food Organics and Garden Organics collection • A new monthly glass recycling collection

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• A fortnightly collection of garbage • Garbage bin lid changed to red, and • Ongoing fortnightly recycling collection

FOR BOOKINGS PLEASE CALL 9363 1030 *OFFER AVAILABLE FOR LUNCH, WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY. OFFER NOT AVAILABLE ON SPECIAL DAYS. ^SELECTION FROM SENIORS MENU ONLY.

Deer Park Club 780 Ballarat Rd, Deer Park Ph: 9363 1030 www.deerparkclub.com.au

Stay connected

The Victorian Government requires all Councils to move to a 4-bin system by 2030. The 4-bin system will increase recycling and reduce waste going to landfill. Brimbank Council is proposing to introduce the 4-bin system as soon as 2023.

Let us know what you think by 4 April 2022 yoursay.brimbank.vic.gov.au/sortingitout

@deerparkclub 12539132-DL10-22

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NEWS

Affordable rentals harder to find By Max Hatzoglou Rising rental prices are leaving some Brimbank residents stranded without a home, according to a local real estate agent. Sunshine real estate agent and founder of Create Vic Real Estate, Steven Tabban, says affordable rentals are becoming hard to find causing problems in the community. Mr Tabban explained a story of a lady who has been looking for a new rental for months now as the owner of the home she is in has to sell.

‘‘

The system is absolutely garbage for both tenants and landlords in these brackets - Steven Tabban

’’

The lady has no family and her only income is her pension. Despite her having paid rent for 38 years, she is still unable to find a new place as agents say her income is not enough and does not fit the

formula of affordability, he said. Mr Tabban said a number of costs, such as gas and electricity bills, were to blame for the high rental prices, leaving it difficult for landlords to keep the prices low. He believes more support is needed particularly for single adults, pensioners and people living with a disability. “The system is absolutely garbage for both tenants and landlords in these brackets,” he said. “There is no state and federal support.” Mr Tabban wants governments to provide a scheme so people can live healthier lives.

“My thoughts - creating property brackets – pricing brackets with government support either to these tenants or to the owners who keep their properties in an affordable range,” he said. “Rebates on compliance and support to provide safe, clean and cheap homes.” Mr Tabban’s comments follow a recent Brimbank council report that found the municipality had a shortfall of more than 4000 social and affordable dwellings. The report said if no action is taken, the shortfall in social and affordable housing could increase to more than 5000 by 2041.

Listen to hearing advice With years of experience as an audiologist in the Melton and Sunbury areas, Marc Vandenberg has an intimate understanding of how hearing loss affects the community. “They call it the hidden handicap, because it’s something you can’t see, and it’s something people don’t go out of their way to address,”Mr Vandenberg said. “Studies show that people wait eight to10 years before doing something about [hearing loss]. “Hearing loss happens over time. If you are continually exposed to excessive noise, the damage is permanent. So the message is all about conservation of hearing, and limiting that exposure.” On March 3, Mr Vandenberg marked World Hearing Day alongside Hearing Australia. The annual day of acknowledgement was established to raise awareness of the prevalence of deafness and hearing loss in Australia. According to a Hearing Australia survey,

only 23 per cent of respondents had checked their hearing in the past 12 months, while a further 25 per cent don’t recall ever testing the sense. Mr Vandenberg said there is also a stigma attached to losing your hearing, which makes people less inclined to get tested or wear hearing aids, despite the profound benefits. “Anyone can contact us for a free hearing check at any time,” he said. To book your free hearing test, head to the Hearing Australia website. Details: www.hearing.com.au Oliver Lees

Senior audiologist Marc Vandenberg and former AFL player Billy Brownless. (Supplied)

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Reparations offer is welcomed By Oliver Lees Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation has welcomed the state government’s announcement of reparations packages for Aboriginal Victorians that belong to the Stolen Generations, and believe there will be many in the west who will qualify for the scheme. On March 3, the details of the Stolen Generations Reparations Package were revealed, with financial reparations, healing support and an individualised apology from the state available to First Nations people who were

removed from their families before 1977. Affected individuals will be able to access a payment of $100,000 from the end of March. Kamilaroi man and Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation executive officer Peter Webster has a personal appreciation for this historic effort to recognise past wrongdoing against Aboriginal communities. Mr Webster was himself removed from his family as a child in New South Wales and transported to Melbourne. Growing up without his immediate family he had little understanding of his true cultural

heritage, but admitted he always felt that there was something missing in his life. Speaking after the state government’s announcement, Mr Webster said although no amount of money could fix the wrongs of the past, he felt the state’s step towards formal recognition would help the Victorian Aboriginal community find closure. “We have a number of people in Melton and … Wyndham Vale areas like that will be applying for this though they fit that criteria,” Mr Webster said. “I think it will help them with their healing

and reconnecting back to their culture in their community.” Mr Webster said having a formal apology from the government is something that he and his colleagues had been advocating for through his work at Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation and the Sunbury Aboriginal Corporation. “I think people are going to get confused with what the apology is,” he said. “It’s not for people today to apologise for what they feel that they’re being accused of doing. It’s an apology for Australia’s history, on what went on in history.”

Electric buses for the west

John Didulica. (Supplied)

Book explores soccer’s influence Melbourne Victory director of football John Didulica will be a part of this year’s Brimbank Readers and Writers Festival to discuss his new book, Football Belongs: Eight Matches That Explain Australia. The book explores the intersection between sport and nation-building through football and how the game has had a positive impact on Australian society. Didulica, who was the former chief executive of Professional Footballers Australia believes the book will highlight, through powerful stories, how football has been able to enhance society.

“I have tried to unpack how football has made Australia a better place and how it can make it a better place in future,” Didulica said. “The more we understand the connection between football and nation-building, I think the more we can lean on football to help build a better Australia for the future.” Didulica hopes to create more awareness of the positive impact football has had on Australian society and the reasons why the game deserves greater support in future. “In the future football has also got a massive role to play in the challenges we face as a nation.

10 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

“It can give people a powerful case study when they’re advocating for the influence and beauty of our game, football. “There are a few good case studies they can refer to and say, ‘hang on this is what football has done for this country’ and can learn to be treated with respect. “It deserves investment, it deserves to have a voice. “That’s what very much drove me to write it.” Details: https://bit.ly/3vI5SEP Max Hatzoglou

A major rollout of zero and low emission buses across Melbourne will get under way with the Sunshine West Depot to have five new electric buses introduced in the coming months. The state government announced that it will deliver 36 electric buses by mid-2025 with the Sunshine West Depot to be upgraded to house and charge 24 electric buses. The electric bus depots will include undercover parking bays and major electrical infrastructure to increase power capacity to charge buses. Solar panels will be installed at the depots. When complete, more than 30 per cent of the franchise bus fleets at the depot will be zero emissions buses. The electric buses will run across 11 routes operated from Sunshine West including from Sunshine to the CBD and to Caroline Springs; from Garden City and Altona North to Queen Victoria Market; from Yarraville to Highpoint Shopping Centre; and from Fisherman’s Bend to the CBD. Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the new buses would provide a better experience for users. “These buses will benefit the entire community – delivering environmental benefits and providing a smoother and quieter ride for passengers,” Mr Carroll said. Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the rollout of electric buses would have a more friendly environmental impact. “The new zero emission buses introduced by Kinetic will cover a third of Melbourne’s bus network – that’s a win for locals and a win the environment as we head towards our target of halving emissions by 2030.”

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NEWS

MY PLACE Mohsin Abbas has a passion for cricket. He has been engaging people from the Brimbank community to play the game while running his own cricket brand, M9ine Cricket, which he started 2016.

Since I migrated to Australia from Pakistan in 2009 I have been living in Brimbank. I have spent my whole 13 years in Australia living in Brimbank and it’s felt like home from the beginning because I was able to meet some fantastic people and build some strong relationships with people in the community. I have been part of Sunshine Heights Cricket Club for almost a decade now and had some wonderful experiences, including winning the A-turf premiership in 2013-14. I also started my own cricket brand, M9ine Cricket, with the vision to make quality cricket equipment available to all types of cricketers at an affordable price. You have started up several cricket teams within the community, can you tell us more about it? As a passionate cricket player, brand owner and cricket leader, I have always had a great desire to support cricket in the community. Thankfully, I have been able to support a lot of new and existing cricket community teams in different capacities and have been successfully leading one Pakistani Social Cricket team in the west, Victorian Lions, with some amazing achievements so far, winning several cricket tournaments and being able to engage over 40 people from the community to come out and play. You have played community cricket since

2009, what impact has it had on your life? I have been part of community cricket since 2009, which has had a great impact in my personal and professional life. I would say one of the greatest impacts community cricket has had on me is meeting some amazing people and building relationships with different communities and sports people. This has motivated me in life to pursue my passions in cricket and build a cricket brand where I have been able to make friendships with people within the professional industry. You are going to travel back to Pakistan for the first time in six years to visit your family in mid-March, what are you looking forward to? The world has seen some drastic changes in the way we operate these days due to COVID-19 and this has limited the opportunities to travel overseas. I am fortunate enough to travel to Pakistan this month and I am looking forward to seeing Australia touring in Pakistan for the first time in 24 years. As everyone knows, Pakistan is a crazy cricket loving nation and Australia will enjoy their stay in Pakistan in front of an excited crowd. One of my goals would be to encourage young and talented Pakistani people to choose Australia for their next career destination and pursue their aspirations for sport and professional work. I have really worked hard since I moved to Australia and can confidently say that Australia has given me a rewarding career.

Mohsin Abbas

What is your connection to Brimbank ad the north west?

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FROM THE ARCHIVES Star Weekly looks back through the pages of our predecessors

35 years ago

25 years ago

20 years ago

10 years ago

March 11, 1987

March 12, 1997

March 12, 2002

March 6, 2012

Parvovirus – a disease that kills dogs, has reached “alarming epidemic proportions” in Deer Park, St Albans and Sunshine, according to veterinarians.

A scam to trick people into buying expensive water filtration systems is operating in Brimbank.

The State Government has been accused of “brutal management” practices after using tear gas on prisoners at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre earlier this month.

A blitz on Sunshine North industrial businesses has revealed widespread flouting of environmental laws.

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BEHIND THE NEWS

Watching on as the world weeps When Russia officially invaded Ukraine on February 21, the world watched on as millions of civilians rushed to flee the country, and those who stayed took up arms to defend their nation. Molly Magennis spoke to two local Australian-Ukrainians about how it has felt to watch a country they love suffer under the threat of destruction.

or those with Ukrainian heritage in Australia, watching on from almost 13,000 kilometres away as Russia invades its democratic neighbour has been nothing short of devastating. Despite many being born in Australia, they have an unwavering connection to their heritage and culture. Olenka Hrynevich is the secretary of the Ukrainian Association in Sunshine, established in 1952. She’s a first generation Ukrainian-Australian, after both her parents and grandparents escaped from Ukraine during World War II. A lot of her early childhood memories were steeped in her family’s culture, including participating in Ukrainian scouting, traditional singing, and Saturday morning Ukrainian classes. “It was very important to both my parents and both sets of grandparents to bring us up immersed in that culture as children,” she said.

‘‘

I just still can’t even put into words how unfathomable it is

’’

- Roksolana Cyxo Watching the war unfold from Australia, Olenka said the overwhelming emotion she’s been experiencing is helplessness. While it has been amazing to see the world banding together and getting behind her people, she’s worried not enough action is being taken to actually help them on the frontline. “We gather in groups here and we support each other and we try to do what we can, but there’s that sense of helplessness that the aid from the world, it’s alright to gather, but that aid actually has to be proactive, and something needs to happen,” she said. “It’s not just raising the awareness, but we need action from around the world.” Roksolana Cyxo lives in Footscray, and is a third generation Ukrainian-Australian. Despite being born in Australia, like Olenka, her heritage is a huge part of her identity. She agrees that while the support from the rest of the world has been remarkable, Ukrainians need to take on this fight themselves. “I do think fundamentally that it’s important that Ukraine fight this fight for itself, because this is a process of Ukrainians’, I guess self determination to a certain extent,” she said. However, no-fly zones enforced by NATO, which would prevent Russia from launching airstrikes, would be beneficial she said. “I am kind of stuck between Ukraine needs to fight this, but it is also fighting it for the whole democratic world.” Roksolana has extended family living in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine, and said she has been trying to keep in touch with them as much as possible. “We message with them and it’s really not, we don’t really chat about what’s happening but more, just to make sure that they’re okay, and kind of finding out what they’re doing,” she said. “They’ve essentially just decided to stay where they are.” Roksolana said she spends hours upon hours everyday on social media and watching the news, bewildered by the fact that something like this is actually happening in the 21st century. “How can this actually happen in today’s world when we have apparently learnt from the world wars, and the fact that wars don’t really get you anywhere?” she said. “I just still can’t even put into words how unfathomable it is.” Olenka said her mother has also been watching on in disbelief, saddened at the fact that after being declared independent over 30 years ago, Ukraine is still fighting for its freedom.

A woman runs as she flees with her family across a destroyed bridge in the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2. 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Centre: Members of the Sunshine Ukrainian Association have been attending rallies in the city, and have invited the community to tie blue and yellow ribbon on the fence of their community centre to show their solidarity with Ukraine. (Pictures: Supplied) Above, left to right: Olenka Hrynevich in Kyiv; Roksolana Cyxo and her husband; Refugees from Ukraine wait at the railway station in Chelm, from where they will take a special train to Warsaw, Poland. (Pictures: Supplied and EPA/Bartlomiej Wojtowicz)

“She’s just so sad like all of us because she thought it would finish when her parents were hiding her in the bomb shelters in the ‘30s. “They thought that, finally, what they’d been fighting for all their lives had come to fruition, and now 30 years later, it’s threatened.” Olenka describes Putin as a “unstable man”, who has instigated a “selfish act” to leave some sort of egotistical legacy behind. “[He wants] to be not known as someone who saw the Soviet Union crumble, but he wants to regain that power again, it’s a personal thing,” she said. “His ultimate goal is to destroy anything

that’s Ukrainian, and he denies that there is a history.” Roksolana said she believes Putin has a world view that Ukraine is not an independent nation, but rather an extension of Russia. “I read something yesterday that essentially Putin has become a victim of his own propaganda, he has started believing his own propaganda,” she said. “I think it’s the product of a lunatic and it’s just ridiculous that he has so much power to be able to mobilise a country’s military and nuclear weapons and everything. This is what happens when there are totalitarian regimes

and there’s no balance of power.” Despite Russia’s huge military forces, Roksolana refuses to consider the prospect of a Ukraine governed by Putin. “That thought hasn’t crossed my mind because I refuse to believe that that would happen because I believe so strongly in the will of the Ukrainian people and increasingly, that we’re being supported internationally by pretty much every other country in the world. “Although there will be a ton of destruction and loss of lives and loss of livelihoods and loss of future, I cannot accept that this will end with Russia taking over Ukraine completely.”

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Wild ways to cool off at the zoo The calendar season may have ticked over from summer to autumn, but forecasts are still trending high. On days where temperatures rise above 25°C, zookeepers at Werribee Open Range Zoo get creative to provide ample opportunities for the animals to cool off. Savannah keeper Laura Harbridge said that while the animals are perfectly adapted to cope with soaring temperatures, enrichment experiences, such as flavoured ice blocks, misters and sprinkler systems, are tailored to offer new and novel experiences with an icy cold pay off. “Our animals are a mix of African and Australian native species, so they’re built for this climate,” said Ms Harbridge. “We find most of the animals take care of themselves, as their exhibits at the zoo are built to mimic their wild environments, and include plenty of shade and water. “We offer various enriching experiences to our animals every single day. Even when it’s hot, we’re focusing on offering differing stimuli, such as flavours, scents, textures and physical sensations. The cool-down is an added bonus.” Just like humans, mental and physical activity are critical to animal wellbeing. Zookeepers provide a variety of activities, experiences and habitat designs to encourage animals to use their senses, move their bodies, and display natural, species-specific behaviours.

A wallowing rhinoceros making a splash. Right: Ice blocks are a favourite on hots days at Werribee Zoo; An Africa wild dogs cools off on a hot day. (Pictures: Supplied)

For the southern white rhino, this involves rolling around in wallows to slather on a layer of moisturising and sun-protecting mud. While for nimble fingered vervet monkeys, this includes receiving pieces of maize and frozen fruit in an ice block to promote their fine motor skills. Ms Harbridge says that while the calendar

season has changed, we all still have a job to do to help out our native neighbours. “Keeping fresh water available to wildlife should be a year-round activity. We often see extremely hot days through March and April, so maintaining the bird baths and other wildlife-friendly water vessels remains important.”

Zoos Victoria members and Werribee Open Range Zoo visitors are reminded that all tickets must be pre-booked online at zoo.org. au and all ticketholders 18 years and over are required to provide proof of full vaccination and follow current Victorian Government directions at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au. For more information, visit zoo.org.au.

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Back to school

Twins Colby and Sebastian, and Rania and Dania, were among the excited pupils starting school at Furlong Park School for Deaf Children last week. By Tara Murray The school reopened for 2021 on Two western suburbs advocates are calling for government action after a waste management Thursday and there was plenty of fire fun for in Brooklyn last week.

Twins Colby and Sebastian, and Rania and Dania, were among the excited pupils starting school at Furlong Park School for Deaf Children last week. The school reopened for 2021 on Thursday and there was plenty of fun for the two sets of twins and their school friends. Colby and Sebastian, 8, and Rania and Dania, 6, are two of three sets of twins at the school this year. The school has about 65 students. A third set of twins will start on February 11 and will be part of the school’s early years program. Principal Lee Bullock said it was possibly the first time the school had welcomed three sets of twins. Tara Murray

There have been at least eight factory, waste management or tip fires across the west and Hume since October, while the Kealba landfill has had underground fires burning continuously for more than a year. Former LeadWest chief executive Craig Rowley and former state MLC member Colleen Hartland say enough is enough. “It’s a long-running issue,” Mr Rowley said. “It doesn’t matter which party has been in power at the time, they haven’t done enough clean-up of the west.

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“The urgency to clean it [industry] up has never been greater.” Mr Rowley said during his time with LeadWest, from 2010-18, one of the biggest concerns raised by local councils was the need for a cleaner, greener and more liveable western metropolitan area. “We were constantly talking about it with the other tiers of government, about the investment needed in the west to make it cleaner and greener. “It just seems that it is taking a long time to get there.” Mr Rowley said an Environment Protection Act, which changes how the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) regulates pollution, waste and contamination in Victoria, had been

delayed for 12 months. “We’ve been waiting for so long to have confidence to be able to breath fresh air. Confidence that our creeks aren’t going to be polluted.” He suggests forming a steering committee which would include the EPA, WorkSafe, MFB and council representatives to have a co-ordinated approach to industry clean-up. “I don’t think questions are being asked on Spring Street as often as they should.” He also proposed government funding to help bring old industrial estates up to the 21st century and the introduction of better air quality monitoring systems. Ms Hartland is a member of the Facebook group Anti-Toxic Waste Alliance, which was

set up after the West Footscray warehouse fire which spewed toxic fumes across the western suburbs for days in August 2018. She said the group, a non-political alliance of community groups, organisations and individuals, wants action. “There’s been a spate of these fires,” she said. “There’s been three in the last 10 days. “The EPA and the state government don’t seem to be taking it seriously.” Ms Hartland said the group wanted more regulation on industrial sites, clear information about when the EPA is called in and when and for how long air quality equipment is set up. She has also called for the act to be introduced. ■ Fire

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Fire sparks call to arms

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COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY CALENDAR WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Star Weekly Community Calendar, Corner Thomsons Road and Keilor Park Drive, Keilor Park, 3042, or email to westeditorial@starweekly.com.au by 9am Wednesday the week prior to publication

Writers and Readers Festival The Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival is an annual event that encourages a love of reading and literature, celebrates creativity and diversity, and promotes lifelong learning in Brimbank. The free festival, which runs between March 17- 26, includes workshops, author talks, panel discussions, writing, storytelling and more. ■ https://www.brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/ writersfestival

Wellbeing festival Breaking ground as the first dedicated mental health festival of its kind in Brimbank, the Know Yourself, Show Yourself, Grow Yourself Festival aims to raise awareness and normalise conversations about mental health. The week-long festival will run from Monday, March 21 to Friday, March 25, at Sunshine Heights Primary School, and feature a free public program bustling with workshops, guest speakers and experiences centered on core tenets of mental health and wellbeing; fostering diversity, inclusion, connection, courage and belonging along the journey line. ■ https://www.knowshowgrowfestival.com/ program Photographer’s choice pic is of Roberta Joy Rich who has a new exhibition at the Footscray Community Arts called ‘The Purple Shall Govern Exhibition’. (Damjan Janevski) 270254_01

Keilor probus The Keilor Combined Probus Club is back in business following the lockdowns. The group meets the third Monday of every month at Keilor Pub. New members welcome. ■ Steve, 0408 193 793, or Keith, 0409 494 801.

monthly outings, an annual trip away and a lot of fun meetings. ■ Val, 0418 138 214

Sunbury Combined Probus Club Women’s Day The Women’s Support Network will be launched at an International Women’s Day event in Brimbank on Tuesday, March 8 between 10am and 12pm at Deer Park Hall, Station Rd, Deer Park. All women are welcome to attend, with bookings open until March 3 ■ https://www.trybooking.com/BXMGS or info@wsn.org.au

Women’s group Duke Street Community Centre has set up a women’s social group to give people a place to interact. The group will run every second Friday, from 1pm, as a way to connect with other women in the community in a safe, fun and social way. It will be developed to suit the needs of the participants and will be in a casual setting. ■ 9311 9973

Football Taylors Lakes Football Club is seeking male and female players for all age groups from under-8s to under-18.5s. To be eligible, children need to be born between July 1, 2003, and April 30, 2015. ■ Julie, 0409 259 389

Deer Park probus The Deer Park Combined Probus Club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at The Deer Park Club, 780 Ballarat Road, from 10am. New members and visitors welcome. ■ Don, 0409 191 580

Rotary club The Sunbury Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at the Sunbury Bowling Club from 7pm. ■ sunburyrotary@gmail.com

The Sunbury Combined Probus Club meets every fourth Thursday of the month at the Sunbury Football Social Club at 10am. Visitors and new Members welcome. ■ Carmel , 0416 477 271.

Toastmasters Sunbury & Macedon Ranges Toastmasters helps its members develop their public speaking, communication and leadership skills. The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 7.20-9.30pm, at the Sunbury Senior Citizens Hall. ■ vpm-4185@toastmastersclubs.org

Garden club The Sunbury Garden Club meets on the first Tuesday of every month. There is a guest speaker at each meeting, which starts at 7.30pm at the Sunbury Football Club. ■ Cheryl, 9744 1663

Senior citizens club Senior citizens are welcome to visit the Sunbury Senior Citizens’ Club on Mondays and Fridays, from 10am-3pm at 8 O’Shannassy Street. A variety of activities are offered – carpet bowls, cards, snooker, darts, board games or just a cup of coffee and a chat. If you’re 55 years or older and would like to meet new people, come along. ■ Frank, 0423 392 884

Community outings Hikoi Brothers is for men of all ages in the western suburbs. The group meets fortnightly on Sundays for walks, talking about a range of topics while enjoying the different tracks in Wyndham. ■ http://ow.ly/JpJR50HOVuN

Werribee River lovers required

U3A Werribee U3A Werribee Region is a not-for-profit organisation consisting of semi-retired and retired residents of Wyndham. It conducts a variety of weekly classes run by volunteers. ■ Rick, 0402 299 220

Education volunteers EdConnect Australia is on the search for Wyndham residents to mentor and volunteer with students for the 2022 school year. The charity places volunteers in local schools to help improve the lives of vulnerable young people and equip them with life skills. EdConnect Australia offers training and support to its volunteers. ■ www.edconnectaustralia.org.au/volunteer/ or 1800 668 550

The Woodlands Ladies Probus Club of Sunbury meets on the fourth Monday of each month at the Sunbury Bowling Club at 9.45 am. The club is based on fun, friendship and fellowship and enjoys

The Friends of Presidents Park meet on the first Thursday of the month, 10am–noon. This is a new conservation group. No prior knowledge required. Meet in the carpark near the river and Shaws Bridge. ■ admin@werribeeriver.org.au

Williamstown Craft Market Commonwealth Reserve comes alive on the third Sunday of the month for the Williamstown Craft Market. The market boasts more than 50 stalls showcasing everything from handmade craft, homegrown produce and food vendors. There will also be live music. From 10am-4pm. ■ https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/ Community/Whats-On/Williamstown-CraftMarket

Conversation Cafe The Conversation Cafe is back on at Footscray and Braybrook libraries. The Cafe gives people the chance to meet new people and practice English conversation skills in a relaxed and friendly environment. ■ https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/ library/Events/Conversation-Cafe

AL-ANON meets AL-ANON provides support for families and loved ones living with alcoholics and problem drinkers. The group meets Mondays at St Thomas Anglican Church foyer, 117 Synnot Street, Werribee, from 7.30pm, and on Tuesdays at the St Mary’s Tennis Club rooms, 204 Grimshaw Street, Greensborough.

Diabetes support group The Westgate diabetes support group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Altona Bowling Club at 10am. ■ Elaine, 0415 030 996

Tutoring program Youth Services and Equal Ed are providing free online tutoring classes for young people aged 12 to 18 years old. The Academic Homework Support Program is on Wednesdays, 4-5pm, from the second week of each school term in 2022. All sessions are supervised by Wyndham council youth services staff. ■ https://youthwyndham.com/pgm-reg or Danielle Diez, 8375 2346

Join Landcare Ladies probus

and get active at the same time. Members are required to register with the Heart Foundation to join. ■ Ian Watson, 0411 566 862, or https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/ Community/Whats-On/Altona-Meadowsand-Newport-Heart-Foundation-WalkingGroups

A new family-friendly conservation group is forming to support the Werribee River in central Werribee. The next event is Tuesday, March 8, 5.30–7pm, river end of Edgar Street, Werribee. ■ maryann.weatherill@werribeeriver.org.au

Walking group Altona Meadows and Newport residents are invited to take part in a Heart Foundation walking group that meets on Wednesdays and Fridays. The group walks for 60 minutes, and is a great way to socialise

Heritage walks Enjoy a leisurely two-hour walk around historic Williamstown and nearby suburbs with guide John. Walks start at 9.20am each Tuesday outside the Visitor Information Centre in Nelson Place. ■ John, 0418 377 336

Musicians welcome Do you play trumpet, flute or lower brass instruments? The Hobsons Bay City Band is seeking musicians to join its community band. Rehearsals are held Mondays from 7.30pm at the Newport Lakes Primary School, Elizabeth Street, Newport. ■ Roger Lewis, hbcityband@gmail.com, or www.hbcb.org.au

Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY 15

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EVERY WEEK

9, 2021

\ STARW EEKLY.COM. AU

JAf £ fn¹Ǥ

Life’s road trip record ed

Xiang Li.

(George Russell OAM)

Inset: Xiang

Australia’ s Deer Park outback has been last week in a new exhibition brought to . launched Self-taugh 5000 kilom t artist Xiang Li mad Australia etre solo road trip e a last year and used to outback inspiratio n for that The trip was her ﬁrst solo exhib as ition. anyth stayed in a vineyard ing but smooth – not long Li that burn ago car in a sand and was locked ed down outside her She said storm. female empthe trip was abou t self-conﬁd owerment and build ence ing “Life is just . like a road trip, never abou t and it is “It is abou the destination,” experienc t the people we she said. e we met and the On the trip, had.” she colle from her car for whic cted the red dust named. h the exhib ition is The exhib conjunctio ition, which is being run in be at the n with Brimbank council, Hunt Club will Centre in Com munity Deer Park until Marc Arts Details: au/red-du https://creativebrim h 11. st-exhibit ion-by-xia bank.com. ng-

Li’s artwo rk. (Supplied)

Crackdo wn on h oons

By Tara Mur

Tara Murr

ray

Brimbank on duty Highway last Mon crack ing patro day nigh down on surprised t, hoon drive l officers are rise in hoon fatalities. that either incidentsaid they were rs amid a meet recent Senior Cons s. The didn’t end A fema le in fema four occupants of table Aym police were le and three on Dalr ympl the after being was left with signi males, were Commodore, a 60 to 80 vehicattending hoon with e said ficant injur ejected meets, up wrap taken to people les in atten ies occu non-life-t hreatening ped arou from a car that a week. pants were dance, multwith up to Dela injuries. hospital people per car, you’re nd a pole ended hey. Two of the looking ejected iple times who turne in Kings “It’s unfo Senio at 450-5 d up. Park, belie r Constable from the car. In a secon rtunate, “Highway 00 said. it is expe d accident, Dalr ympl patrol was ved both four in the cted now, e investigato accidents out in force Last Mon “Both ” he Furlo vehicles were obser were hoon said they appe second accident was rs . -related. ared to be ng Road on ved racin were told who we were high speed on the freewThe car not far fromday, two serious g crash heading towa ramp near call crash well.” ay es, with drive The inexp the less rds Derrimutand Leading a hoon meet in Derr es occurred and cars split up on about 11pm. than 10 years erienced drivers rs Leading the Western imut. a short time as they have as expe Senior ConsSenior Constable “Seat rienc Ring belts seem later one e,” he said. Rod Hold Senior Cons Senior Constable table Dalr of the cars, Road to be an Lead table Dalr ymple, whoHudson and the en Commodore Hudson crack ing and ymple said back of a sedan, collid a black that ing Senior Cons issue too.” were both down vehicle trave 15 minutes polic table Huds on hoon ed into road. state and driving acrose were befor lling on the same into the pole, there e the first car on said cars that had a significan t database s the crashed atten Derrimut was a gathe -Lave on the Senior Cons ded hoon events. ring in the “There were rton area. attend hoon table Dalr ympl 150-plus e said meet cars, with about three $800 under couns in Brimbank those who can be cil laws, offences. on top of fined police OUT

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Pick up your FREE newspaper from these local outlets... • • • • • • • • • • •

•

• • • • • •

•

Albion Federation Residential Village 639 Ballarat Road Albion Sadie Black Cafe 31 Perth Avenue Ardeer Coles Express 1-5 The Avenue (Cnr Fitzgerald Road) Braybrook Coles Supermarket Braybrook 67 Ashley Street Braybrook Central West Shopping Centre 65-67 Ashley Street Braybrook Braybrook News & Lotto 127 South Road Burnside Burnside News and Lotto 15 Westwood Drive Burnside Heights Milkbar 102 Tenterfield Drive Cairnlea Cairnlea Town Centre 100 Furlong Road Cairnlea Harcourts Real Estate 1a/100 Furlong Road Caroline Springs Caroline Springs Civic Centre/Library 193-201 Caroline Springs Boulevard Caroline Springs Brad Teal Real Estate Caroline Springs Shop 4, 242-244 Caroline Springs Boulevard Caroline Springs Ray White Real Estate Caroline Springs Shop 8, 234 Caroline Springs Boulevard Caroline Springs CS Square Centre 29-35 Lake Street Deer Park Smart Smile Dental Suite 4, 20 Clairview Road Deer Park Deer Park Club 780 Ballarat Road Deer Park Bells Real Estate - Deer Park 813a Ballarat Road Deer Park Biggin and Scott Real Estate Deer Park 817a Ballarat Road Deer Park Comm Unity Plus Community Neighbourhood Centre 822-824 Ballarat Road Deer Park Foodworks 803 Ballarat Road

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Deer Park Cellarbrations liquor store 809 Ballarat Road Deer Park Australia Post - Deer Park 827a Ballarat Road Deer Park Deer Park IGA 8 Hatchlands Drive Deer Park Brimbank Shopping Centre Cnr Neale Road & Station Road Deer Park Derrimut Village Shopping Centre Foleys Road Deer Park Coles Supermarket Deer Park Foleys Road (Derrimut Village Shopping Centre) Deer Park Deer Park Library 4 Neale Road Deer Park Burnham Real Estate Deer Park 93 Station Road Delahey Calder Real Estate 10/350 Taylors Road Delahey IGA Delahey 260 Taylors Road (Delahey Village Shopping Centre) Delahey Delahey Community Centre 80 Copperfeild Drive Derrimut Sunshine Golf Club 475 Mt Derrimut Road Derrimut YPA Estate Agents - Derrimut Shop 9, 20 Mt Derrimut Road Footscray Wards Newsagency 100 Nicholson Street Hillside Foodworks Hillside 49-69 Wattle Valley Drive Hillside Parkwood Green Community Centre 88 Catherine Drive Keilor Brad Teal Real Estate - Keilor 684 Old Calder Highway Keilor Daniel Real Estate 702 Old Calder Highway Keilor Keilor Community Hub 704b Old Calder Highway Keilor Keilor Newsagent 700 Old Calder Highway Keilor Keilor Retirement Village 868 Old Calder Highway Service Road Keilor Downs Centro Shopping Centre 80 Taylors Road Keilor Park Frank’s Supermarket 5 Fosters Road Keilor Park Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse Shop 32, 40 Keilor Park Drive

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Kings Park Westvale Community Centre 45 Kings Road St Albans Homes Group Real Estate 63 Alfrieda Street St Albans Westside Real Estate 1a Alfrieda Street St Albans IGA St Albans 18 East Esplanade 9364 3388 St Albans Barry Plant Real Estate St Albans 1-7 Elaine Street St Albans Sunshine Hospital 176 Furlong Road St Albans Joan Kirner Women’s & Childrens Hospital 176 Furlong Road St Albans ABC Real Estate 286 Main Road East St Albans St Albans Newsagency 304 Main Road East (9366 2273) St Albans Ray White Real Estate St Albans 308 Main Road East St Albans Raine and Horne St Albans 352 Main Road East St Albans YPA Estate Agents St Albans 67 Main Road West St Albans First National Eeal Estate St Albans 8/346 Main Road West St Albans Danny & Co Real Estate St Albans 352 Main Road West St Albans People In Real Estate 1 Princess St St Albans Stockdale and Leggo St Albans 9 Alfrieda Street St Albans Sweeney Real Estate St Albans 22 Alfrieda Street Sunshine Hocking Stuart Sunshine 134 Durham Street Sunshine Stockdale Leggo Sunshine 273 Hampshire Road Sunshine Thomson Real Estate Sunshine 3/473 Ballarat Road Sunshine Brotherhood of St Laurence Lvl 6, 12 Clarke Street Sunshine Bells Real Estate Sunshine 14 Devonshire Road Sunshine Sunshine RSL 99 Dickson Street Sunshine Barry Plant Real Estate Sunshine 271 Hampshire Road Sunshine GL Lee Real Estate

• • • • • • •

• • • • •

• • • •

•

Sunshine 275 Hampshire Road Sunshine Douglas Kay Real Estate Sunshine 280 Hampshire Road Sunshine Sunshine Library 301 Hampshire Road Sunshine Brimbank City Council 301 Hampshire Road Sunshine Sunshine Plaza 324-328 Hampshire Road Sunshine Sweeney Real Estate Sunshine 4a/282 Hampshire Road Sunshine Sunshine Marketplace 80 Harvester Road Sunshine Woolworths Supermarket Sunshine 80 Harvester Road (Sunshine Marketplace) Sunshine North North Sunshine Post, News and Lotto 69 McIntyre Road Sunshine West Morgan’s Super IGA Supermarket 475 Fitzgerald Road Sunshine West Bottler Sunshine West Drive in Liquor 79 Glengala Road Sunshine West Coles Supermarket Sunshine West 136 The Avenue Sydenham YPA Estate Agents Sydenham Ground Floor, 15-17 Overton Lea Boulevard Sydenham O’Brien Real Estate 17b Overton Overton Lea Boulevard Taylors Hill Taylors Hill Land Sales Cnr Taylors & Gourlay Roads Taylors Hill Watervale Shopping Centre 2-14 Calder Park Drive Taylors Lakes Professionals Real Estate Shop 27 3 Melton Highway (Taylors Lakes Shopping Centre) Taylors Lakes Taylors Lakes Lotto Shop 8 3 Melton Highway (Taylors Lakes Shopping Centre) Taylors Lakes YPA Estate Agents Taylors Lakes Shop 5, 399 Melton Highway (Watergardens Shopping Centre) Taylors Lakes Watergardens Shopping Centre 399 Melton Highway

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16 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

PUZZLES No. 071

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

easy

7 1 2 8 3 6 7 4 1 8 3 3 1 6 2 5 8 2 6 4 5 8 1 3 2 6 9 8 7 9 2 medium

8 1 5 7

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

Synthetic material (7) Tiny, six-legged creatures (7) Cast down (11) Expanse (3) Manually (2,4) Poster (7) Shortage (4) Valuation (10) Senior managers (10) Andamooka gemstone (4) Argue noisily and angrily (7) Of a tribe (6) Official (3) Common joint injury (11) Late (7) Association of individuals (7)

1 5 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20 22 25 26 28 29

No. 071

Agreement (4) Gaseous fuel (9) Popular aquarium fish (5) Surreptitious (11) Harm (3) Beachwear (7) Rib-like structure (5) Absence of motion (10) Showy (11) Society below the surface (10) To place imortance on (9) Blasphemous (7) Horrible (5) Actor, Oscar – (5) Sole (4) Unhappy (3)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 16 18 21 23

24 27

DECODER

No. 071

8 8

1 3 9 6 8 2 9 4 3 7 5 6 2 1 6 8 2 4 9 hard

4 6 2 5 1 3 9 7 4

4 5 9

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

K R 21

7 3 9 4 6 5 2 1 8

4 9 5 2 7 3 8 6 1

8 1 7 4 6 9 5 2 3

3 6 2 1 5 8 4 9 7

9 5 4 3 8 1 6 7 2

Today’s Aim: 22 words: Good 33 words: Very good

C D

4 LETTERS ABLY ADZE AIDE BUSH CLAM HANS HIDE HONG OHIO ORBS SAIL SETH TROY USDA 5 LETTERS AGATE

3 9 2 5 7 1 6 8 4

6 LETTERS FATIMA KELPIE STATIC TARMAC

7 LETTERS ACCOUNT CANDIED HITACHI ICELAND MIDWIFE NIGERIA 8 LETTERS LEBANESE OVERFLOW PARENTAL WOMANISH

11-03-22

No. 071 Insert the missing letters to make 10 words – five reading across the grid and five reading down.

QUICK QUIZ

What is the name of the Greek appetiser of fried or grilled cheese (pictured)?

What was the name of the first and only studio album recorded by the Sex Pistols?

What were the names of the three mascots of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games?

Which Australian drama series was set in the fictional town of Pearl Bay?

True or false: khaki is a synthetic fibre?

Which number does the Roman numeral L represent?

10 Monitor, anole and horned are all kinds of what animal?

Which classic nursery rhyme is said to be a reference to the Bubonic plague? What does the acronym NASDAQ stand for?

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

O O T D

C R E W O A L A N T E R

S K I

C T

SEATS SICKO SIFTS SPANK SPAWN TENET TERRA THING TRIPS

What kind of musical instrument is a clavichord?

1 2 8 6 9 7 3 5 4

2 4 9 8 1 5 7 3 6 8 5 4 9 3 6 1 2 7

HYENA IMAGE INNER LEAPS LEWIS LINEN LUCIA MAINS MANIA METAL OMEGA OPERA OUTDO PAYEE PETIT PRATE RECAP RESAT RIVEN SCENE

No. 071

aced, aces, acid, acre, acrid, arced, arcs, caddie, caddied, caddies, caddis, cadre, card, carded, cards, care, cared, cares, case, cased, cedar, cider, cried, cries, dace, dice, diced, dicer, dices, disc, discard, DISCARDED, erica, iced, ices, race, raced, races, rice, sacred, scar, scare, scared, sidecar

6 7 3 5 2 4 9 1 8

5 3 1 7 4 6 2 8 9

7 8 6 9 3 2 1 4 5

7 6 1 2 8 4 3 5 9

1 8 5 6 4 9 7 3 2

4 2 3 1 5 7 8 9 6

AGENT AIMED ANGEL ANOMY AROMA ASCOT ASHEN ASIAN ATOLL BANNS BRAVE BRING CHEAP CORSE DREAM ECOLI EERIE ENDOW EVITA GENII

W L

5 6 1 3 2 8 9 4 7

4 8 2 1 9 7 5 3 6

3 2 5 6 4 1 8 7 9

6 7 9 3 2 8 4 1 5

2 4 8 7 9 3 5 6 1

5 1 7 8 6 2 9 4 3

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural words ending in “s”.

44 words: Excellent

6 7 4 8 5 9 3 2 1

1 9 8 7 3 2 6 5 4

9 4 3 2 1 6 7 8 5

2 5 7 9 8 4 1 6 3

8 1 6 5 7 3 4 9 2

9 3 6 4 1 5 2 7 8

Puzzles and pagination © Pagemasters | pagemasters.com

medium

easy

9-LETTER WORD

hard

5x5

8 2 7 9 2 6

2 5 9

3 LETTERS AGO ASS BIZ EEL HAT HER HIC HUN ISH ITA KEN LEE MIR NAG NIL PAY RAP REC REP SPY SRI TIE TIM TRY

U CO S B ANH Y T I GQ

P F E L MX J D V ZWK R

WORDFIT

ANSWERS: 1. A stringed keyboard 2. Saganaki 3. Syd, Olly and Millie. 4. 50 5. Ring a Ring o’ Roses 6. National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (System) 7. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. 8. SeaChange 9. False 10. Lizard

SUDOKU

Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY 17

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V Bathroom & Kitchens 12420493-CG25-19

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Domestic - Commercial - Industrial s Slate s Exposed s Plain s Colour s Stencil s Restore Driveways Seal and Concrete Cutting Free quotes Call Ricky on 0431 261 855

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A1 Garden Maintenance & Rubbish Removals ฀ ฀

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Deadline for all classifications is 2:30pm Friday.

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NICK’S RE-BLOCKING SERVICE

ALL SUBURBS ★ RAISING ★ LEVELLING ★ UNDERPINNING ★ RESTUMPING WITH CONCRETE OR REDGUM STUMPS ★ COUNCIL PERMIT ★ ALL WORK GUARANTEED

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE VODAFONE MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT RAVENHALL INCLUDING 5G

Must have own car. Western suburbs area. For more info call Tony

340827 Caroline Springs South 2: 13A Prima Court, Ravenhall VIC 3023 (RFNSA 3023002) The proposed facility consists of the addition of new equipment and associated works, including 5G, as follows: r Removal of existing Vodafone antennas and equipment r Installation of three (3) panel antennas, 2.7m long, on the existing headframe r Installation of three (3) panel antennas, 0.8m long, on the existing headframe r Installation of ancillary equipment including fifteen (15) remote radio units, antenna mounts and cabling 1. Vodafone regards the proposed installations as Low-impact Facilities under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018 (“The Determination”), based on the description above. 2. In accordance with Section 7 of C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Code, we invite you to provide feedback about the proposal. Should you require further information or wish to comment, please contact Archie Aparicio at Axicom, 02 9495 9000, community@axicom.com.au or Level 1, 110 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 by Wednesday, 23 March 2022. Further information may also be obtained from www.rfnsa.com.au/3023002. 12539052-HC10-22

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MOTOR STARWEEKLY.COM.AU The blanked off front ‘grille’ is the only obvious cue this Volvo XC40 is electrically powered. (Pictures: Supplied)

Auto style leader goes electric By Ewan Kennedy, Marque Motoring Our road test car this week is a Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin, which was particularly interesting as our family car is a Volvo XC40 T4 Inscription that we have owned for three years. It will be fascinating to find out how the two compare both in performance and the latest in technology. And decide if we hold onto our existing car or go the electric route.

Styling These days Volvo is one of world’s automotive style leaders and in my opinion the XC40 is the best shape from the company in many years. With a chunky, almost cheeky look it has an upright slightly-concave grille. In the Recharge the grille doesn’t need to take in air to cool the engine so is blanked off and has a very large Volvo badge in the centre. Deeply sculpted lower sections of the doors and upward swept D-pillars with lights in them also add to the looks.

no engine there. The small front boot has been nicknamed the frunk – short for front-trunk. Many owners use the frunk to store the electrical charging cables.

Interior

Powertrains

The XC40 is a bit larger than others in its class at 4425mm long, 1863mm wide and 1652mm high. Every cubic centimetre of the interior space is put to good use. It has seating for five, but four adults and a child makes more sense. There’s slightly less foot-space in the Recharge as the battery under the floor steals some of it. The Scandinavian styling is simple almost to the point of being minimalistic in the dashboard area. There’s excellent storage space in the door pockets as the Volvo designers avoided taking up space with audio speakers. There’s also out-of-sight storage in drawers underneath the front seats. There’s even Volvo’s funny little rubbish holder that can be removed from the car when you get home and emptied out there. The load area is slightly smaller than that on the petrol and diesel models because the boot floor is higher in the electric model. There’s also a small boot under the bonnet as there’s

Our Volvo T4 Inscription has 140kW at 5000rpm. The Recharge Twin has more than double that, 300kW at just one rpm – that’s right, one rpm. It has two electric motors, hence the Twin in the name. Each motor produces 150kW and 330Nm, one drives the front wheels, the other the rear. That’s 660 newton metres which is the sort of grunt developed by a big petrol V8 displacing seven litres. Official energy consumption is 25.5kWh per 100km. We averaged just under 20kWh during our 355km test period. The official range is 418km as measured by the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) and we looked to be getting close to that figure.

Infotainment We certainly enjoyed the clarity of the Harman Kardon premium sound system, as the electric Volvo is very quiet inside it adds to the enjoyment.

20 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

The portrait shape of the infotainment 9-inch inch screen makes more sense than landscape ones because you can see much further ahead on the sat-nav map. Volvo Cars’ driver infotainment system (Sensus) provides smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety The Swedish company’s approach to safety has never faltered over the many years it has focused on this vital feature. A host of features in the help avoid a crash, or minimise injuries if one does occur. The 360-degree camera system in our test car provided an overhead view of the Volvo and its surrounds – it’s almost as though a small drone with a camera is hovering over you. Great fun!

Driving Volvo’s Clean Zone two-zone climate system removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver what Volvo calls, “Scandinavian-fresh air on the inside”. It certainly is a pleasant place to be. The front seats are large and comfortable. In the rear I can sit ‘behind myself’ (I’m 180cm tall) with leg room to spare.

You don’t need to start the Volvo. Simply put your foot on the brake and select Drive or Reverse with a conventional ‘gear lever’ and the electric motor is ready to go. Somewhat oddly there’s still space for a Start/Stop button, but it has been blanked off. It can be driven as a one-pedal due to energy regeneration when slowing down. This can be a bit aggressive at first but we soon adapted to this and it became a personal challenge to avoid using the brakes at all. This is another clean feature as there’s no brake dust being created. People may ask why you need a family SUV that goes from zero to 100km/h in under five seconds. But the acceleration means you spend less time on the wrong side of the road when overtaking. And it’s really good fun to beat someone off the traffic lights who is in a big V8 with a lumpy idle who thinks he can whop you in a drag race. Childish? Yes, but what’s wrong with that! Handling is very good, with steering that almost seems to read your mind. The Recharge Twin has a lot more weight due to the heavy batteries - it weighs in at 2158kg, compared to our XC40 Inscription’s 1657kg. But it handles well as a fair bit of the weight is low down due to the heavy battery. Some road surfaces created more tyre noise than we anticipated. In particular the concrete surfaces on the motorway between the Gold Coast and Brisbane were louder that in our own Volvo XC40 turbo-petrol. Possibly due to the low rolling resistance tyres.

Summing up Electric power is the way of the future and Volvo is very Swedish in wanting to minimise global warming. Though the Recharge Twin is based on a vehicle using an internal combustion engine the conversion to make it an EV works well. Will we replace our turbo-petrol Volvo XC40 with an electric one? No, because we do a lot of long-distance holiday trips and charging would be slow in most places. We will wait until the 800 km battery and five-minute fast chargers arrive and buy one, if the price is right.

STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

SPORT

O’Hara relishes new opportunities One of the state’s best under-20 players will be part of the Keilor Thunder’s inaugural women’s National Basketball League 1 South team. Amy O’Hara is one of the team’s youngest players, but she brings plenty of experience to the Thunder. O’Hara, who just turned 18, said she was looking for an opportunity to play NBL1 and Keilor seemed like the right fit. “It’s really exciting,” she said. “They reached out to me and I was looking for an NBL1 club to go to so I could advance my game. “It’s convenient for me doing year 12 as it’s close to home. I already knew a lot of the girls and Tom Bandilovski is a great coach.” The Hoppers Crossing resident said being able to train at a high intensity all the time was something she had enjoyed. She has crossed from Hawthorn Magic,

where she had been playing Big V and under-18s. “It has been really great training at a high intensity, you get to learn lots,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to learn from older girls and it’s a great learning curve for me being younger. “I had made the state team before and I’m used to training at a high intensity, playing and training at a higher intensity is more enjoyable.” Despite being one of the two new teams on the block, O’Hara and her teammates have set big goals. She said they would love to play finals. “We want to do well at both ends of the work. We want to work as a team and get as far as we can and hopefully make the final and go all the way.” As well as combining playing for the Thunder and year 12 studies, O’Hara was recently

announced as part of the under-20 Victorian sides for the national championships. She will be part of the top Victorian team. O’Hara said she was surprised to be named in the team. “Being in the state team is always exciting,” she said. “Being bottom age, it’s a great opportunity. “I guess with everything I’ve done through basketball, I’ve always wanted to put my best foot forward and go from there. “I’ve worked hard and someone saw something in me they would like in the team, I’m doing something right. “I’m going to work hard. It’s more opportunities to train and play at a higher intensity.” Tara Murray

Amy O’Hara.

(Mark Gregory/Keilor Basketball)

Stallions look to build in ‘22

The launch of the Kicking In For Kids Campaign. (Supplied)

Making footy cheaper By Tara Murray A new campaign has been launched to help keep young children playing football in Melbourne’s west. The Kicking In For Kids Campaign was launched by the Western Bulldogs and the Western Region Football League last week. As part of the campaign, the Bulldogs and its partners, will pay for the league registration fee for all WRFL junior players from under-8s to under-16s. More than 1300 footballs will be provided to WRFL clubs to help the clubs have the equipment needed to best help the kids as part of the campaign. Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains said children had been heavily affected by the pandemic. “As everyone is aware the last couple of years has been really difficult and really challenging with COVID,” he said. “Particularly our children, who sadly have been deprived a lot of childhood activities we’ve taken for granted. “Whether it’s going to school or kicking

the footy at their local footy club these are things that haven’t been able to be done. “It’s exciting to be here talking about the Kicking In For Kids Campaign. Throughout the campaign for season 2022, the league registration fee will be paid for every child in the WRFL from under-8s all the way through to under-16s. More than 5000 kids will benefit from that, it will lesson one of the barriers of returning to football. “We’re just so grateful to be part of this initiative, playing our part int getting kids back to being healthy and doing things they should be doing at this age.” WRFL chief executive Matthew Duck said it had been an incredibly challenging couple of years for everyone involved. He said 100s of children had stopped playing football in the west the last couple of years. “While the cost to play Australian rules football is very low in comparison to many other sports, we do know the barrier to entry for many. “This investment from the Western Bulldogs and their partners represents a

significant financial investment into the local football ecosystem here in the west and is aimed squarely at reducing the costs with the benefit going directly to 5000 families here in the western suburbs.” The Burnham family from West Footscray Football Club are the faces of the campaign. Western Bulldogs stars Lachie Hunter and Isabella Grant were part of the launch. Both played their junior football in the WRFL. Grant said local footy was where you fall in love with the game. “For me, footy is the first place I felt comfortable being myself … Especially young girls growing up, they can feel like they are part of the community and they’re safe to be who they are. “This provides an opportunity to stay in that system.” Hunter added: “I grew up in Williamstown and played under-9s to under-16s. I spent a lot of years there. “The thing I remember is that’s where I met a lot of my best mates now. I still hang out with a lot of kids I played in under-9s, under-10s teams with.”

Brimbank Stallions are hoping to build on a successful 2021 season in this year’s FV state league 1 north-west season. The Stallions surprised many people last year, themselves included, when they were sitting second on the table when the season was called off due to the pandemic. Stallions coach Andrew Marth said they had been able to keep that playing group together for this season. “We have retained all our players and strengthened our squad,” he said. “There’s a lot of respect from the players at the club. There’s a good culture and that often produces championship teams. “No one is leaving. We’re looking forward to this season.” Luis Covarrubias is the biggest signing for the Stallions for this season. He and Marth have previously worked together. “He was at Melbourne Knights under me and he was at [Caroline] George Cross last year,” he said. “He’s a striker with a wealth of knowledge and will enhance our promotion hopes. “There’s now about five or six players I coached over a number of years at different clubs that have come to us at Brimbank.” Marth said they had promoted three players from their junior program, having promoted seven the year before. He said they were fortunate to have a good junior structure in place. After the year they had last season, Marth said they were keen to build on that. Whether it results in promotion, is a question to be answered. “Coaching anywhere you want to get as high as possible,” Marth said. “We feel like we have a good team that we could push for promotion. Possibly we overachieved last season, we don’t have the funds some of the other clubs do. “We’ll push for promotion and if we finish in the top four or six, I’ll be more than happy.” The Stallions were in action on Saturday in their first match of the Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup. The match against Sandringham was after deadline. Marth said they wanted to do well in that before the actual season gets underway on Corio. “We want to go as far as we can in the Australia Cup,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of injuries, but we’re confident that we can get through round one. “We’re looking forward to the start of the season.” Tara Murray

Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY 21

SPORT STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

Cougars make their run to the finals Kealba-Green Gully has taken big steps forward this season in the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association. The Cougars’ top side has long been one of the standout teams of the George Luscombe Shield, but the club’s other sides at times have struggled. This season, all three of the club’s sides have made finals in a big boost for the club. First XI captain Brody Psaila said it had been good to see all three sides have successful seasons. “In previous seasons, the firsts have had success,” he said. “This time the second and third XIs have had some success too. “All three teams making finals is awesome going forward. I’ve been here six or seven years and I don’t remember the second XI making finals. “It’s not a regular occurrence.”

Psalia said the difference this season had been the commitment of the players on and off the field. He said players were stepping up to take on roles to ensure things were getting done. Even when the club was hit hard by COVID in the first round after Christmas, with nine players out, others stepped up. “Warren Kelly and Evan Long have stepped up,” he said. “New recruits like Aaron Amos have started taking on roles. “Things that needed to be done were done.” The Luscombe Shield side finished the regular season in third spot. They faced Pascoe Vale Central in a knockout semi final on Saturday, which was after deadline. Buckley Park was set to face the Chargers in the other semi final, with the two winners to play in a best of three grand final series. Speaking before the final, Psaila said they

were confident they could perform well in the finals. “Start to really produce as a team and we’re confident that we can get it done,” he said. “It all depends on who turns up on the day. The best team on the day will win.” He said their experience would be a key in any success that they have in finals. “We’ve got a lot of experience,” he said. “There’s players like Jarrod Catania who are seven time premiership players. Their experience in finals is second to none. The second side was set to face the Chargers in the Stringer Shield, while the third side was knocked out of the Musgrove Sunday group D competition in the qualifying finals. For the results of the Cougars matches, go to www.starweekly.com.au. Tara Murray

Evan Long.

(Damian Visentini)

Sports shorts VTCA Rain ended Keilor’s hopes of a finals spot in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division. The Blues needed to beat Aberfeldie and hope that Yarraville Club lost to Westmeadows. Neither of those matches went ahead due to heavy rain, which meant the top four remained the same. St Albans was able to get a final round win, beating Doutta Stars. Sunshine United’s match against Haig Fawkner got under way, but ended in a draw.

VTCA Keilor Park, Grand United and Sunshine Heights were among the rare winners in the final round of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association regular season, with the majority of matches ending in draws due to rain. In division 2, Keilor Park beat Glenroy in a low scoring match, while Newport-Digman beat West Newport. In division 3, Grand United bowled Laverton out for 31 before making 1-35. Sunshine Heights beat Point Cook, but it wasn’t enough to earn a finals spot.

VSDCA

Dylan Pierias at training.

(Supplied)

Pierias shows his best By Tara Murray A change of mindset resulted in a breakout match for Western United star Dylan Pierias against Perth Glory. Having been part of the Olyroos side at the Tokyo Olympics, Pierias at times has had an up and down season. Benched at half time in the previous match, he could have been forgiven for dropping his head and sulking. But instead that was behind his performance against Glory, when he produced a best on ground performance. The performance would include a goal in the second half, which would seal the 2-0 win. Pierias said he had approached the Glory game a bit differently than the previous few rounds. “Personally, before that game I had been trying to get a starting spot,” he said. “I was putting too much pressure on myself. “I went into that game trying to play like I was 10-years-old and just enjoying it. I didn’t think too much about it and I just

took the opportunity.” Coach John Alosi was really pleased with the game of Pierias saying he was one of the main reasons for the win. Having had that success, Pierias said he would continue to just focus on playing and let his game do the talking. He said knowing that he can put out a performance like that, only gives him confidence. “The mental side is such a big thing,” he said. “I’m now going out there with the right mentality. “It just gives me confidence going forward.” The performance of Pierias is a good side for United that sits equal top, with Melbourne City, which has played two extra games. United has nine wins from 14 games, which is more wins than they had for all of last season. Pierias said the biggest thing this season had been the closeness of the group with everyone buying in. “You can’t complain when you’re on top,” he said. “I honestly think that this is just a great bunch of guys.

22 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 8 March, 2022

“Everyone gets along and there’s really good morale. John has created a great culture and I would consider it like a family environment. “Sometimes sporting clubs can feel like work, but it doesn’t here.” Pierias said this playing group was a pretty special one. He said while he expected the group to gel well together, he was a little surprised at how well they had. For Pierias it has been a big year, having played for the Olyroos at the Olympics. He said that was a pretty special experience. Pierias, who grew up in Caroline Springs and still lives in the west, has previously said he wants to make the west of Melbourne proud. For now he is focused on the A-League season and having success with United. “We want to finish on top and win the championship,” he said. “I know this group and they will not be happy to settle for anything for less.” United was set to face Newcastle Jets on Saturday afternoon, after deadline. For the result, head to www.starweekly.com. au.

Taylors Lakes ended its season with a loss to Elsternwick in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association south-west. Elsternwick made 9-156 in reduced match of 31 overs a side. George Sakkas and Luke Denny took three wickets each. The Lions finished 8-100 in reply. Sakkas top scored with 20 not out. The Lions finish the season in 15th.

NPL St Albans hot start to the National Premier League season continued on Saturday afternoon, with the Saints beating Avondale. The Saints scored in the first half through Ivan Razumic. In wet conditions, the Saints were able to maintain that lead winning 1-0. It wasn’t such a good weekend for Melbourne Knights and Green Gully, who both suffered a 2-0 losses to South Melbourne and Port Melbourne respectively.

FOR MORE SPORT, VISIT Web: starweekly.com.au Brimbank & North West Star Weekly @starweeklynews @star_weekly

Falcons are ready to hit the court

Soli Ropati will move into the wing attack position. (Shawn Smits) 237918_07

City West Falcons are prepared to take the risk and run with small squads for this year’s Victorian Netball League season. While many clubs are preparing to have extra players amid possible isolation challenges, the Falcons have gone the opposite way. Falcons coach Marg Lind said for them this season was about getting the players court time after two interrupted years. “We’ve running low numbers and taking a risk,” she said. “Players are keen to play this year, so we’ve taken a risk and reward method, as I’d rather get them playing. “We’ve got players playing in a few different positions. They’re enjoying the versatility of running different roles which will help with smaller numbers.” The club’s championship team, which was undefeated last season when the season was called off early, is similar to last season. Goaler Uneeq Palavi returns to the club having played elsewhere in recent years and will add a bit of flare, while Lucia Fauonuku has

been promoted. The one big loss for the Falcons is captain, Maggie Lind, who has earned a contract with Collingwood’s Super Netball side. Maggie was named joint VNL championship division most valuable player last season, the second time she has won the award. Lind said her daughter might be released to play a few games to play for them, but they wouldn’t know until during the season. “Losing Maggie is a big hole,” Lind said. “She still helps out a lot with coaching and organised a clinic for the junior association.” Lind said Soli Ropati would move into the wing attack position having played that role before. Maddy Gray may also spend time playing there. Zoe Davies, who has been signed as a training partner at Collingwood, and Fauonuku might get opportunities in the midcourt, with the side taking in a defensive heavy squad. She said Montana Holmes, who has also signed with Collingwood as a training partner,

had been training really well in the off season. Lind said expectations for the championship side remained high. “We are expecting to finish in the top four,” she said. “A couple of injuries could change that though.” In the other sides, Lind said they had added three players from Albury Wondga to their division 1 side. She said the under-19s would again provide some excitement. “We’ve got Adut Manyiel from Ballarat who is pretty exciting. “Teal Hocking is in the side and we’ve up Kiralee Collings in the midcourt who has great leadership. “Charli Nicol and Achel Yout are back and have some really good potential.” The Falcons will kick off their season on March 16. Tara Murray

Bombers soar to the top The hard work in the pre-season is paying off for Essendon in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition. The Bombers have been the most impressive team in the first three weeks and sit atop the ladder with three wins and a big percentage. Bombers coach Brendan Major was happy with how things were trackng so far. “I would say overall it has been really good,” he said. “It’s been an opportunity to work on the things we worked on in the pre-season. “To kick as many points [overall score] as we have has been a positive. That is the most pleasing thing, the scoreboard reflects the hard work that we’ve done. “It reflects what we are trying to do.” In the Bombers most recent match, they accounted for old rival Carlton. The Bombers blew the game open in the first half with 13 scoring shots to two. They led by 65 points, before the Blues kicked some late goals. The Bombers taking the win, 12.7 (79)- 4.3 (27). Major said they were good for three quarters of that game. “It was another good solid performance,” he said. “We got a bit tired in the end and it’s something we will talk about. We let the foot off the gas and got a bit fumbly. “It’s something to work on.” Federica Frew kicked six goals in the win, while Amelia Radford led the way with 25 possessions. Major said they had been able to share the load around in the first three weeks. “With a vision a lot easier to get, it’s easier to identify scoring options going forward,” he said. “It’s been a pretty even contribution. Some of the girls haven’t played a lot of footy and are doing well. “Our backline is going well. When Carlton kicked goals, they played some good football. “We’re making teams play good football to score against us.” While the Bombers are flying early days, Major said they still had plenty of work to do thorughout the season to continue to improve. He said cleanness with the ball was one area they would look to improve. “We’ve been able to identify what we need to do quite well,” he said. “The ability to execute for an extended period of time, isn’t something that will happen straight away. “It’s something that we will need to build on throughout the whole season.” The Bombers were due to face Wiliamstown on the Saturday at the Hangar, after deadline.

(Supplied)

By Tara Murray

KRUNI RAZOV

Positive start for the Saints

Courtney Ugle.

(Joe Mastroianni) 268247_14

The Seagulls were 1-2 in their first three matches, including losing to Collingwood by 20 points in their last match. Speaking before the match Major said they had no major injury concerns. “Williamstown play a physical style of football,” he said.

“They will be a big challenge for us.” Meanwhile the men’s VFL season will get under way on March 25. The 21 teams will play 18 games each in a 22-round home-and-away season. The Bombers will start their season on March 26 against Geelong.

After finishing with 10 points in the National Premier League (NPL) last season, St Albans have already picked up four points from the first two games this year, although they know from last year not to get ahead of themselves. The Saints were in a similar position last season starting the 2021 campaign well with eight points from the first five games although a horror run followed, where they gained only two points from the remaining 13 games of the season. Knowing this, St Albans coach Kruni Razov did not want to comment too much on his team’s success so far this season until he sees some consistency. “To be honest, I know it is cliche but we will just look at it one game at a time because even last year after round five we had eight points believe it or not and that’s where it all started to unfold. “Even last year we started really well so this year, I’m a little bit apprehensive to say things until we get past round seven, eight or nine and we’re still playing well and picking up points hopefully.” Despite this, Kruni does hope that St Albans can be competitive this season and achieve as much as possible. “Every game as it comes, we want to be as competitive as we can in every game and where it takes us we will analyse it at the halfway mark and we will make a decision from there, do we go for it or are we fighting relegation or are we happy to just finish mid-table.” Kruni believes that the new recruits have played a part in allowing his team to flourish more this season and play a more aggressive game style. The Saints have a challenging run of games coming up with Avondale, South Melbourne and Bentleigh in the next three games. Max Hatzoglou

Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 BRIMBANK & NORTHWEST STAR WEEKLY 23

Big Sam guarantees the “Freshest” quality

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SATURDAY 7am-3pm

Red Potatoes 5kg

Pork Belly

FRIDAY 7am-6pm

99¢

M&K Fruit & Veg

THURSDAY 7am-6pm

Stall 31 & 32

1499

$ 99

(Prod Of Aust) TD Quality Meats

Stall 22 & 23

Fresh Large Quails 6 pack

Ross’s Meat Supply

Stall 3

Debrecine

1499 Stall 4

Double Roasted Chickpeas - Stragalia

Stall 21

German Kefalograviera

$ 99

(Chemical Free) European Deli

Stall 15

Fresh Barramundi Cutlets

Paramount Poultry and Game Stall 19&20

5 for

(Prod Of Aust) Candy’s Nuts

Stall 16 & 17

Australian Continental Deli

Stall 5 & 6

Asiatic Lilies

Roasted Peanuts

Delight Blooms

Stall 30

St.Albans Market

Hanna Coffee

Original Milk Tea and Thai Milk

St.Albans Road ST.ALBANS

THE FRESH FOOD SPECIALISTS

12529715-AV10-22

Black and White Tea

Stall 18

Small Pitted Kalamata Olives

$ 99

Stall 12

Westend Butchers

$ 49

bunch

Specials Valid WEDNESDAY 9TH MARCH TO SATURDAY 12TH MARCH or until stocks last. Retail limits may apply.

Stall 7

Pear Tree Valley Baby Gherkins 950g Jar

Dried Fruits, Nuts & Confectionery Stall 9

HVK Fresh Fish and Seafood

$ 99

Pork Hocks

Stall 2

La Ionica Chicken Wings

1699

Ramb Deli

St Albans Market Fish Supply

1299

Stall 1

Bertocchi Hot and Mild Salami

Pack

Market Place Poultry & Game

BJ Meats

Big G’s Deli

Stall 11

Daffodil XL Disposable Vinyl Gloves X 100

Stall 13

box Teresa’s Gifts

www.stalbansmarket.com.au

Stall 15A